Hi, I just thought I'd let you know that my grandfather was a chauffeur for the Ferguson's of ship building fame in Greenock at the beginning of the 20th Century. Sandy (Wagga x 2) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Angus Ferguson" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 8:44 AM Subject: Re: [Renfrew] Lost Greenock FERGUSON family? > Thanks for your ideas Patricia. This is possibly my most frustrating search > yet!! > > You suggested: > > >I went searching for that child by her first name only and her birth year > > I tried this at Freecen with Archibald, Jean and her same - named daughter, > but to no avail. Unfortunately Scotlandspeople will not allow such searches. > I also tried spelling variations and allowed for some inaccuracy in > birthplaces and birth years. > > > However, you say you have looked for remarriages. > > I tried this again and found two Jane/Jean Ferguson marrying in the correct > timeframe, but these were OPR marriages and I'm damned if I'm going to spend > £20...........yet! The IGI has these also, but as expected no reference to > any maiden name or parents. I can't remember whether the OPRs record such > detail. > > > Archibald aged 14 in 1851 could have been at sea then, if he was at sea in > > 1861. > > Very possibly. Actually in the 1861 Southampton census, he is on land and > enumerated as a boilermaker. He was recorded as a seaman at his marriage in > 1863 in Ayrshire. I would have thought though that boilermaking would > require a land - based apprenticeship? At least I have some leads on him! > > > Jean aged 16/17 in 1851 was probably in service and living with another > > family. > > Very possibly also. Freecen came up with nothing, but I'm not sure they have > the full Scottish 1851 census transcribed yet. There were many possibilities > on SP, but I limited myself to known family locations and counties. She > could have gone further afield, but then she was in Greenock for her > marriage in 1855 and no occupation was recorded for her. > > > John Ferguson aged 15? Was he the son of Archibald (dec'd) > > Archibald, as his brother already had two Johns, both accounted for and > verified. > > > does that mean Archibald (dec'd) was also born in Ireland? > > I don't know and I've never considered that! I have no record of Archibald's > birth, yet I have the records of his three siblings. All I have ever had to > definitively link the two brothers was the marriage of their two children > (cousins) in Greenock in 1855. > > > If the son does that mean the family traveled to and from Ireland? > > Possibly, but I doubt whether the frequency of travel was great. I also > doubt, but could be very wrong, that the entire family were in Ireland in > 1851. There certainly was considerable communication with Ireland as there > have been 3 likely adoptions, two of which were during the famine in the mid > - late 1840's. The family have a long and I hope, noble tradition of > adoptions from this time until the early 1900's. Interestingly, there were a > few Archibald Fergusons in Armagh in the early to mid 1800's. > > > If Ireland - then a very very good luck as I have a huge brick wall in > > Ireland. > > Tell me about it! I have at least four! I have long wondered how, and no - > one has yet given me a reasonable explanation, people make any headway in > their research there, unless they had geographically stable and relatively > wealthy ancestors. > > > Hope my suggestions are something to think about. > > Plenty.....and thank you! > > Kind regards > Angus > > > >